All Vash Knows
by Sempai Sunny
Summary: Major Spoilers! What is going through Vash's mind when Wolfwood asks him about Knives in episode 23. Attempting a one-shot. R


NO OWN TRIGUN! I also don't own "In the End" by Linkin Park. (I love, love, love this song!) There are spoilers for various episodes. It's one of my feeble attempts at a one-shot, taking place during a scene in episode twenty-three (Paradise).

**All Vash Knows**

            "Then answer me one thing. You're obviously going after Knives. What do you intend to do once you find him?" Wolfwood demanded.

            I thought about my answer for a second, wondering how to put it. "Many years ago, he stole someone very important to me,"

            "So you want revenge?"

            "I don't know."

_*It starts with one_

_One thing_

_I don't know why*_

            "I really don't know."

            And I didn't. Here I was, staring down the only person, aside from my brother, who might have been able to defeat me in a shoot-out.

_*It doesn't even matter_

_How hard you try_

_Keep that in mind_

_I designed this rhyme_

_To explain in due time_

_All I know*_

            Knives _had stolen Rem from me, though. I had realized it just after the SEEDS ship exploded._

            I also had the feeling Knives would steal someone else from me, very soon. I couldn't explain any of this to Wolfwood.

_*Time is a valuable thing_

_Watch it fly by_

_As the pendulum swings_

_Watch it count down_

_To the end of the day_

_The clock ticks life away*_

            I stood and stared at him.

            "I see," he said. "That's how you live. That's how you _choose to live."_

            It's not my fault, I wanted to scream. I believe in Rem, and she taught me to live like this. I don't know what I want to do to Knives.

            Rem told me that no one ever has the right to take a life. She also told me to take care of Knives, she made me promise to.

            I broke that promise the minute I shot him and ran away.

_*It's so unreal_

_Didn't look out below_

_Watch the time go_

_Right out the window_

_Trying to hold on_

_But didn't even know_

_I wasted it all just to_

_Watch you go*_

            I had no idea what to say to Wolfwood. Something about him made him feel different to me, right from the start. Maybe because of how he seemed to be awfully relaxed about God's will, despite his profession.

            I stared into his cold blue eyes. How could I explain to him all I knew about this world?

_*I kept everything inside_

_And even though I tried_

_It all fell apart_

_What it meant to me_

_Will eventually _

_Be a memory _

_Of a time when*_

            I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen that made the world I'd created for myself come crashing down at my feet. Possibly, it was the way Wolfwood was aiming the Cross Punisher at me, or even just the hard look in his eyes.

            I remembered that look from somewhere before…

            "Are you going to shoot me again?"

_*I tried so hard_

_And got so far_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

_I had to fall_

_And lose it all_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter*_

            I shook the thought from my mind.

            Wolfwood lowered his cross. "You know what?"

            I stared at him. This didn't exactly come across to me as a time to be playing guessing games.

            "You're an expert at pissing me off. Amazing,"

            His deep blue eyes had the hint of a smile, and I relaxed slightly, even though the feeling of anxiety still lay deep within me.

_*One thing_

_I don't know why_

_It doesn't even matter_

_How hard you try_

_Keep that in mind_

_I designed this rhyme_

_To remind myself how_

_I tried so hard*_

            Wolfwood was a friend, a true friend. Since he hit me, I wasn't sure how to act around him. Even though he apologized, something was bothering me.

            He just wasn't able to stomach the life I'd chosen for myself.

_*In spite of the way_

_You were mocking me*_

            "Hey, Wolfwood," I said.

            He yelled and lunged towards me, raising the Cross Punisher.

_*Acting like I was_

_Part of your property_

_Remembering all the times_

_You fought with me_

_I'm surprised_

_It got so far*_

            It flew to the side of my head, and I recognized the sound of a bullet ricocheting off of metal.

            "Take cover!" Wolfwood yelled.

            We rushed into the bar nearby, as another shot sent half of a table flying.

            "Who fired that?"

_*Things aren't_

_The way they were before_

_You wouldn't even recognize me_

_Anymore*_

            "It must be Caine," Wolfwood said. I was confused as to how he knew this, but I didn't question his judgement.

            "He's probably sniping from the outskirts of town. If we don't do something now, he will hit his target."

_*Not that you knew me back then_

_But it all comes back to me_

_In the end_

_You kept everything inside_

_And even though I tried_

_It all fell apart_

_What it meant to me_

_Will eventually_

_ Be a memory _

_Of a time*_

            I had a feeling that was me. Caine was one of Legato's Gung-Ho Guns. I was sure of it.

            "And he's not alone,"

_*I tried so hard_

_And got so far_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

_I had to fall_

_And lose it all_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter*_

            I wanted to know how Wolfwood knew this. Could he possibly be?

            No, no way. How could he?

            "What?" I asked. I needed an explanation now.

            "Why don't you go after Caine?" Wolfwood said, keeping himself flat against the wall. "You shouldn't have any trouble finding him."

_*I put my trust_

_In you_

_Pushed as far as I can go_

_And for all this_

_There's only one thing_

_You should know*_

            "The other one's mine."

            I remembered other times Wolfwood had been this confident, but, somehow, he seemed frightened now.

_*I put my trust_

_In you_

_Pushed as far as I can go_

_And for all this_

_There's only one thing_

_You should know*_

            "By the way, I only know you as 'the Stampede'. You could at least tell me your real name."

            There was the problem. I didn't have one, per se. And, I had a feeling he wanted to know for a reason.

            He was hiding too many things from me. It was time for me to hide something from him.

_*I tried so hard_

_And got so far_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

_I had to fall_

_And lose it all*_

            "No way," I told him. "I'm not going to tell you just so you can go and get killed today."

            I had the feeling that I might have spoken too soon.

_*But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter*_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Egad! I had to watch Part B of that episode while writing this, so I could have the exact dialogue for all you nit-picky Trigun otaku.

This is my little Vash and Wolfwood on *SPOILER*

I use that word like a censor…^_\\ (for all N.D.W. fan girls who know what that spoiler was, I join you in T_\\)

Ecaep dna evol, Sunny.


End file.
